Why Bother Reading the App Store Terms When You’ll Accept Them Anyway

Russia’s famous security firm Kaspersky made a recent blog entry that takes a look at the intimidating App Store terms of service which customers must accept in order to download software on their devices.

The Kaspersky Team makes a solid case for iPhone owners who seemingly have no choice but to hit “accept” as the endless documentation bears intimidating legal terminology “that most people couldn’t fully decipher even if they bothered to read them.”

Indeed, and this is generally the case with all kinds of terms and license agreements, not only Apple or Google’s.

The security company stresses that customers are faced with a tough decision every time one of these “terms of service” dialogs pop up on their screens.

“If a user refuses to accept the terms of service, they won’t be allowed to download apps from the store.”

A poll on the Kaspersky Lab Facebook page shows that roughly one third of respondents never bother to read the terms of service for the Apple iTunes Store, and other app stores.

Looking at the iOS install base in particular, Kaspersky points out that, “For iPhone users, the App Store is the only legitimate source for apps and the devices won’t run other apps, unless it has been jailbroken.”

The company suggests Android customers might seem to have it the easy way, but not quite.

“Android users do have the option of finding apps in alternative, third-party app stores, but these are infamous for having malicious apps,” the Kaspersky Team writes.

But whatever risks are involved, it seems customers have no choice but to delve right in.

“The end result, it seems, is that regardless of whether you read the terms of service, you’re going to end up accepting it one way or another. If you want to actually use your phone, that is.”